The present invention relates to fishing lures and more particularly, to fishing lures adapted to carry a fish attractant.
Many fishing lures are specifically designed to mimic the appearance of the nature prey of a particular game fish. Of these lures, there are many types which take on the appearance of frogs, minnows, crayfish and the like, and include bodies fitted with barbed hooks, which have the general shape and coloration of these animals. However, a disadvantage with these types of lures is that the taste and feel of the lure body is distinctly different from the prey which they are designed to mimic, so that the game fish often spits out the lure body upon sensing its taste and feel. This action by the game fish often occurs so rapidly that the fisherman does not have sufficient reaction time to set the barbed hooks.
More sophisticated lures are made not only to mimic the appearance of the prey, but to duplicate its taste, feel and texture as well. Such lures include bodies made of rubber or plastic. Furthermore, in order to attract game fish from a much wider area than would be attracted merely by the visual appearance of the lure, many fisherman coat the lure bodies with scent attractant, which often includes ground fish or crayfish as a component. A disadvantage with these types of lures is that the material comprising the lure body, while of the appropriate texture and feel, does not hold the attractant for a prolonged period of time. In many instances, the attractant leaves the lure body in less time than it takes to perform a single cast and retrieval.
In an attempt to overcome this disadvantage, it is known to attach a strip of leather or leather-like material to the lure body by passing one on the lure hooks through the end of the strip. While the leather-like material has a tendency to retain the fish attractant longer than the lure bodies, they are still not satisfactory in retaining the fish attractant for long periods of time. A further disadvantage of these types of "add-on" strips is that they tend to spoil the appearance and action of the fishing lures to which they are attached.
Accordingly, there is a need for a fishing lure that not only mimics the appearance of prey of game fish, but assumes the taste, texture and feel of the prey as well. In addition, there is a need for such lures which are adapted to absorb and retain fish attractant for prolonged periods of time.